Obama Wields His Pardon Powers — For People

President Barack Obama issued nine presidential pardons Friday, his first since taking office, ending a streak that had prompted criticism from some who said he should have acted sooner.

Until now the lone recipients of Mr. Obama’s mercy have been the fourturkeyshe rescued from becoming the guests of honor at Thanksgiving festivities. With today’s grants, Mr. Obama is two pardons ahead of former President George W. Bush, who pardoned seven people in December 2002 as his second Christmas in office approached.

The recipients of Mr. Obama’s pardons included one defendant who was sentenced to one year probation and fined $20 in 1963 for mutilating coins. Another was sentenced to 30 days in jail for conspiracy to distribute cocaine. Four of the nine pardons involved individuals convicted of drug crimes years ago.

Mr. Obama didn’t commute any sentences, meaning he didn’t shorten jail time for any of the roughly 200,000 federal inmates currently serving time.

Traditionally, presidents are more sparing of pardons early in their tenures.

Statistics from the Office of the U.S. Pardon Attorney show that for most of the 20th century, presidents had granted hundreds of pardons and commutations as they prepared to begin their third year in office. But the pace of pardoning slowed considerably under President George H.W. Bush, who pardoned nine and commuted one by this point in his presidency.

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